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There are many different approaches you should take in order to get a good game plan for a trip or a day of fishing. Also remember that things change and these reports are what we know at the time of posting only. Keep in mind that we do express opinions and personal preferences from time-to-time which may be different from yours or what you may read elsewhere. Thanks for checking and don't forget to call us if you need any further information or a more up-to-date report. 614-451-0363
Thanks as always for reading our reports friends. As the weather gets more conducive we should be reporting more regularly....but we need your HELP!
Send any and all reports to admin@madriveroutfitters and we'll do our best to get them up.
We have been getting alot of calls and e-mails asking if we can deliver by Christmas.
The answer is....YES......
Order safely up to December 18th or 19th for standard ground shipping and up to December 22nd for 2-day shipping.
We process most orders the day they are received and they are on the truck and headed to you!
Warmwater
Mad River
Thanks as always for reading our reports friends. As the weather gets more conducive we should be reporting more regularly....but we need your HELP!
Send any and all reports to admin@madriveroutfitters and we'll do our best to get them up.
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We have been getting alot of calls and e-mails asking if we can deliver by Christmas.
The answer is....YES......
Order safely up to December 18th or 19th for standard ground shipping and up to December 22nd for 2-day shipping.
We process most orders the day they are received and they are on the truck and headed to you!
MRO Gift Guide
We have put together a Gift Guide for those who are looking for some great ideas!
Great ideas for Men!
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Great ideas for Anglers!
Great ideas for Men!
Great ideas for Women!
Great ideas for Anglers!
Click Here to view our Gift Guide
Mad River Outfitters Gift Cards make great Gifts and can of course be used in the shop or online!
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With the cold temps we have not been out fishing around town. Water levels are starting to settle providing the hardcore fisherman some good opportunities for Saugeye and a few Hybrid Stripers.
Seasonal Tactics:
Make sure to have some of Loon's Stanley's Ice Off Paste! Focusing on Saugeye you will need sink tips fly lines with shad patterns, but most of your Smallmouth flies will do the trick. The main objective here is to focus on patterns that give off plenty of vibration and have a lazy jigging motion. Focus on hard bottom flats close to deep water during low light periods. This goes for both lakes and streams. 6-8wts with a sinking line like the Scientific Anglers Sonar series or Rio Streamer tip are your rigs of choice. Flies will include Clousers, Mojo Minnows, Half and Halfs, Barely Legals, Mini and regular Dungeons, Meat Whistles, Whitlock's Deep Shad, Articulated Fat Head Minnow, Zoo Cougar, and other similar flies that push later and give off vibration. If you tie your own flies make sure to add rattles, rubber legs, and Bucktail to your own versions of above.
For the Crappie bite this time of the year (and when everything is not iced up) we like to borrow some tactics from the conventional fishing side the "Float n Fly Rig." Fishing a float/bobber/indicator (whatever you want to call it) with a heavy minnow pattern like a Clouser and trail it with a smaller lightly weighted fly like a Crappie Special, Little Devil, or Wooly Worm is a great setup. Target structure on drop offs either from shore or by boat. These areas in the local reservoirs generally mean the dam faces and secondary or long points in the main lake.
Do not forget that Pike and Musky fishing continues throughout the winter as long as conditions remain in our favor. Shoot us a call if you are looking to book a trip!
Forecast:
Next week looks like things will warm up slightly. Early on in the week with a touch of rain and above freezing temps look for the local waters to have a little stain from runoff as the top layers of soil thaw out. Saugeye fishing will continue to be good along with Crappies if the ice melts off the local still waters.
Fishing has continued to be great despite the cold temps. Icy guides and lines are just a part of the game this time of the year though. Nymphing and swinging soft hackles deep have been the tickets. Those fishing small streamers have also been picking up a fish or two, but with the air temps it has been a challenge. Most individuals are focusing on the mid to lower river.
We have some of the new Kelly Galloup's AirFlo lines in the shop! These are what we have been waiting for a long time!
Seasonal Tactics:
Nymphing is the key this time of the year. For this we like to fish long rods, indicators, and two flies. The Rio Indicator leaders really help you cast these rigs. The main go to nymphing sticks are the Sage ESN, Redington Hydrogen, TFO BVK and the new Pieroway Renegade 9'6" 5wt to name a few. Tight line, High Stick, or Euro style tactics are also very productive. Grab a Euro Nymph and Euro Nymph line for that style or the Trout/Steelhead line for indicator/bobber fishing. If you want to build your own leaders then add some Amnesia, Maxima Chameleon, Rio Two Tone Indicator tippet and a pack of tippet rings to your cart. Don't forget the Fluorocarbon tippet also.
Flies to have right now are nymphs like Double Stones, Cranefly Larva, Guides Choice Hares Ear, Trophy Nymphs, Psycho Prince and your typical trout nymphs like the Prince, Copper John, and Hares Ear. As we move further into winter conditions have some Phlamin Pheasants, Steelhead Candy, Formerly Known as Prince, Shop Dips, and Chicken Hawks to name a few.
Streamer fishing into the winter will consist of timing flows that are on the fall. This window is very small, but well worth the wait. Without the crops in the fields look for the water to take a bit longer to clear out, but that just means a few more hours for us streamer junkies. When the conditions hover around freezing ice in the guides is just something that we deal with. Stanley's Ice off Paste helps along with tapping the grip of the rod to shake off the excess water.
Rigs for streamer fishing consist of 6-8wts and a sink tip line. Fill your fly boxes with a vast array of fly colors and designs. Galloup's Dungeons, Bottoms Up, and Atriculated Fatheads flies are a good start. Also take a look at Kelly Galloup's book Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout to help you sort things out. As always shoot us a call if you want a guided streamer trip. We run these all winter and typically produce some of our biggest fish of the year.
Adding some spey casts to your arsenal can help keep the ice in the guides to a minimum. This is specifically helpful when nymphing. The 9'6" 5wt or 10'6" 6wt Pieroway Renegade combined with the appropriate SA Anadro or Spey Lite Scandi are the top choices. Also bring along your tenkara rods as this is a great option for the winter. Combine these with the 4.5 Tenkara USA Level line and a yarn indicator if needed and your set.
Forecast:
Looking into this coming week things are going to be much easier. The air temps will be above freezing pushing 50. There is a slight bit of rain predicted that will only color up the water for a few hours. This stain in the water will give us a small window to fish a few streamers. Do not look for the flows to raise though. Continue to fish your small streamers like Barely Legals, Sumps, Peanuts, Cactus Woolys, Cougars, and the like all on a sink tip lines. Nymphing will continue to be your numbers choice though. For things to get really good we need some significant rain really bad! Nothing is in the forecast that will bring up the levels, but keep your fingers crossed!
Clearfork River
Clearfork Map
The upper river is very low, slushy, and locking up in a few places. With these conditions few individuals have been out fishing. The lower river below Pleasant Hill Dam has been the most consistent water in the state. Those that have made it up that way have found good flows with some shelf ice along the banks. Most have been fishing tandem nymph rigs with a Double Stone trailed by a caddis nymph. Ice in the guides has been a problem so those limiting the amount of line stripped through the guides have been the most successful. Streamer fishing below the dam has also been a good choice, but with the air temps and icy guides it has been a challenge.
Seasonal Tactics:
Like on the Mad, nymphing is the key this time of the year. For this we like to fish long rods, indicators, and two flies. The Rio Indicator leaders really help you cast these rigs. The main go to nymphing sticks are the Sage ESN, Redington Hydrogen, TFO BVK and the new Pieroway Renegade 9'6" 5wt to name a few. Tight line, High Stick, or Euro style tactics are also very productive. Grab a Euro Nymph and Euro Nymph line for that style or the Trout/Steelhead line for indicator/bobber fishing. If you want to build your own leaders then add some Amnesia, Maxima Chameleon, Rio Two Tone Indicator tippet and a pack of tippet rings to your cart. Don't forget the Fluorocarbon tippet also.
Flies to have right now are nymphs like Double Stones, Cranefly Larva, Guide's Choice Hares Ear, Trophy Nymphs, Psycho Prince and your typical trout nymphs like the Prince, Copper John, and Hares Ear. As we move further into winter conditions have some Phlamin Pheasants, Steelhead Candy, Formally Known as Prince, Shop Dips, and Chicken Hawks to name a few.
Streamer fishing into the winter will consist of timing flows that are on the fall. This window is very small, but well worth the wait. Without the crops in the fields look for the water to take a bit longer to clear out, but that just means a few more hours for us streamer junkies. When the conditions hover around freezing ice in the guides is just something that we deal with. Stanley's Ice off Paste helps along with tapping the grip of the rod to shake off the excess water.
Rigs for streamer fishing consist of 6-8wts and a sink tip line. We have some of the new Kelly Galloup's AirFlo lines in the shop that will be perfect for this type of fishing. These are what we have been waiting for a long time! Fill your fly boxes with a vast array of fly colors and designs. Galloup's Dungeons, Bottoms Up, and Atriculated Fatheads flies are a good start. Also take a look at Kelly Galloup's book Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout to help you sort things out. As always shoot us a call if you want a guided streamer trip. We run these all winter and typically produce some of our biggest fish of the year.
Adding some spey casts to your arsenal can help keep the ice in the guides to a minimum. This is specifically helpful when nymphing. The 9'6" 5wt or 10'6" 6wt Pieroway Renegade combined with the appropriate SA Anadro or Spey Lite Scandi are the top choices. Also bring along your tenkara rods as this is a great option for the winter. Combine these with the 4.5 Tenkara USA Level line and a yarn indicator if needed and your set.
Forecast:
We are finally going to get some above freezing air temps. Look for both sections of the river to be fishing well next week. The upper will continue to be very low. Long casts and drifts will be the top technique. Euro nymphing tactics will put numbers to hand as well as slowly swinging small soft hackles. Make sure to have your winter dry fly box handy as we can see some midge activity. The lower river will continue to produce fish both nymphing and stripping streamers. With the flows in the upper river being low look for most people to be heading to the Covered Bridge area below the dam. We need some rain bad, but we will at least have decent conditions going into Christmas weekend.
The upper river is very low, slushy, and locking up in a few places. With these conditions few individuals have been out fishing. The lower river below Pleasant Hill Dam has been the most consistent water in the state. Those that have made it up that way have found good flows with some shelf ice along the banks. Most have been fishing tandem nymph rigs with a Double Stone trailed by a caddis nymph. Ice in the guides has been a problem so those limiting the amount of line stripped through the guides have been the most successful. Streamer fishing below the dam has also been a good choice, but with the air temps and icy guides it has been a challenge.
Seasonal Tactics:
Like on the Mad, nymphing is the key this time of the year. For this we like to fish long rods, indicators, and two flies. The Rio Indicator leaders really help you cast these rigs. The main go to nymphing sticks are the Sage ESN, Redington Hydrogen, TFO BVK and the new Pieroway Renegade 9'6" 5wt to name a few. Tight line, High Stick, or Euro style tactics are also very productive. Grab a Euro Nymph and Euro Nymph line for that style or the Trout/Steelhead line for indicator/bobber fishing. If you want to build your own leaders then add some Amnesia, Maxima Chameleon, Rio Two Tone Indicator tippet and a pack of tippet rings to your cart. Don't forget the Fluorocarbon tippet also.
Flies to have right now are nymphs like Double Stones, Cranefly Larva, Guide's Choice Hares Ear, Trophy Nymphs, Psycho Prince and your typical trout nymphs like the Prince, Copper John, and Hares Ear. As we move further into winter conditions have some Phlamin Pheasants, Steelhead Candy, Formally Known as Prince, Shop Dips, and Chicken Hawks to name a few.
Streamer fishing into the winter will consist of timing flows that are on the fall. This window is very small, but well worth the wait. Without the crops in the fields look for the water to take a bit longer to clear out, but that just means a few more hours for us streamer junkies. When the conditions hover around freezing ice in the guides is just something that we deal with. Stanley's Ice off Paste helps along with tapping the grip of the rod to shake off the excess water.
Rigs for streamer fishing consist of 6-8wts and a sink tip line. We have some of the new Kelly Galloup's AirFlo lines in the shop that will be perfect for this type of fishing. These are what we have been waiting for a long time! Fill your fly boxes with a vast array of fly colors and designs. Galloup's Dungeons, Bottoms Up, and Atriculated Fatheads flies are a good start. Also take a look at Kelly Galloup's book Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout to help you sort things out. As always shoot us a call if you want a guided streamer trip. We run these all winter and typically produce some of our biggest fish of the year.
Adding some spey casts to your arsenal can help keep the ice in the guides to a minimum. This is specifically helpful when nymphing. The 9'6" 5wt or 10'6" 6wt Pieroway Renegade combined with the appropriate SA Anadro or Spey Lite Scandi are the top choices. Also bring along your tenkara rods as this is a great option for the winter. Combine these with the 4.5 Tenkara USA Level line and a yarn indicator if needed and your set.
Forecast:
We are finally going to get some above freezing air temps. Look for both sections of the river to be fishing well next week. The upper will continue to be very low. Long casts and drifts will be the top technique. Euro nymphing tactics will put numbers to hand as well as slowly swinging small soft hackles. Make sure to have your winter dry fly box handy as we can see some midge activity. The lower river will continue to produce fish both nymphing and stripping streamers. With the flows in the upper river being low look for most people to be heading to the Covered Bridge area below the dam. We need some rain bad, but we will at least have decent conditions going into Christmas weekend.
Clear Creek
Clear Creek Map
Fishing has been tough as the flows are low and the water is Gin clear. Combine that with slushy water and most people have just been heading to the Mad River. For those that have found some good water nymphing continues to be the best bet. A small bead head fly like the Phlamin’ Pheasant, Psycho Prince, Copper John, and Trouphy Nymphs have produced the most success. Trail these with an unweighted Hares Ear, Prince, or wet fly and your set. Tenkara setups are also a great choice for this creek.
With these conditions nymphing has been the most productive. Yarn indicators and small bead heads have produces the best results. Tenkara rods are a great choice for Clear Creek also. For those willing to cover water and adjust tactics they have been rewarded with fish. These fish are small, but the scenery is what usually brings people to the area.
Seasonal Tactics:
Rigs for nymphing will consist of 3-5wt 9-10' + rods. These rods provide great control, feel, and reach. Although this creek is not very big a long rod allows for the best presentation and longer drifts. Use a Rio Indicator Leader when float/bobber/indicator fishing or a Rio Euro Nymph leader when using Tightline tactics. Streamer rods for this situation will be fast 4wts or 5-6wts. An aggressive Scientific Anglers MPX, Wulff Ambush or Rio Grand a 9' leader and a weighted streamer will set you on the right path. As for Tenkara we really like the TFO Cutthroat, Tenkara USA Rhodo, Amago or Iwana for this creek. Match those rods with either the Level Line 3.5/2.5 or the Tapered Nylon leader by Tenkara USA and you are ready to go. If you want to use a small yarn indicator then bump your line up to the 4.5 Level Line or a Furled Mono that matches the rod length or slightly longer.
Flies to have going into winter will be nymphs like Double Stones, Cranefly Larva, Guide's Choice Hares Ear, Trophy Nymphs, Psycho Prince and your typical trout nymphs like the Prince, Copper John, and Hares Ear. Streamer fishing will require Mini Dungeons, Barely Legals, Wooly Buggers, Autumn Splendor, Clousers, Trick or Treats, Orange Blossoms, Cougars, Wooly Sculpins, Cactus Wooly, and Near Nuff Sculpin to name a few.
Forecast:
Looking ahead the warm up will be very welcomed. Look for fish to be well distributed throughout the park. Nymphing with your typical flies will be a good choice. Make sure to have small indicators like the New Zealand yarn or the Loon Tip Toppers as the water is very clear. Make sure to have your winter dry fly box handy also as the midge fishing can be very good. We need some water bad. So let’s hope for some rain or snow runoff soon.
Erie Steelhead
Gauge Links and Maps
Good friend and great customer John Myers started taking classes with us and buying gear this Summer. This was his 1st "official" fish on a fly rod.....on a MRO Float Trip with Josh McQueen last week.
ICE! ICE! ICE! There is some open water, but it is very limited and only found in the fastest runs. Most people have been heading to the Clear Fork, Mad River, or tying flies. Those willing to cover miles of water and spend a lot of time in the car have found a FEW fish.
Seasonal Tactics:
You will want to be prepared for just about any situation this time of the year as the weather can change very quickly. Ideal conditions for us are flows with stain that keeps the fish comfortably on the feed and move. The typical Indicator rig for us is either an Air Lock or Thingamabobber float on a custom build leader tied to our 7-8wt Scientific Anglers Anadro or Rio Trout Steelhead line. These lines offer you the best line control and short roll casting ease.
Our go to rods are 10' single handers or a switch rod in the 6-8wt range. On this rig we will usually fish tandem fly rigs of two eggs, an egg and a nymph or a Wooly Bugger and an egg. Actual patterns for this type of fishing will include various colors of Wooly Buggers, Glo Bugs, Crystal Meth and Scrambled Egg also in various colors, Bloody Mary nymphs, Steelhead Candy, Chicken Littles, Steelhead and Wiggle Stones. Do not overlook having a box of Trout Beads and Daiichi X510s or Tiemco 105s especially for those low clear flows. Tippet sizes will range from 0x-3x fluorocarbon.
The typical rig for swinging flies will consist of a switch rod in the 10'6"-11'9" 6-8wt range. The new Jerry French Pieroway Renegade rods are the big talk in the shop as they are effortless to cast and light weight making them a dream to fish all day. We have a great assortment of rods in the shop to meet your specific needs so make sure to stop by or shoot us a call. Matching your switch rod with the right line can be intimidating if you do not have the proper guidance so make sure to also give us a call for advice! For swinging either a Skagit or Scandi line with a Rio or SA sink tip that meets your needs will get the job done. Add a short piece of 12-20lb tippet and a Flow Ryder, A.I Intruder or others and you will be ready to find those "grabby" fish fresh out of the "Big Lake."
As conditions hover around or below the freezing point learning some spey casts with mid to long belly lines keep the ice in the guides to a minimum. These casts can be done with any fishing tactic not just swinging. The most versatile lines for this are the Rio Switch and SA Anadro lines. Keep in mind that swinging flies can be done at any flow or condition, but a couple grabs will be a great day this time of the year.
Forecast:
Going into next week we will see warmer temps and more open water. Once the tribs open up, look for fish to be active and feeding. Nymph rigs will put numbers in the net, but do not overlook your switch rod and swinging. It only takes a few degree temperature change to make these fish fire up get grabby. The flows will continue to be low, but will spike slightly due to runoff and the slight chance of rain. Make sure to be prepared for any water condition as things change very quickly up there this time of the year.
We are continuing to book guide trips daily so make sure to contact us with a couple of your date options! We have a few tricks up our sleeve and are still getting folks into fish despite the tough conditions.
Seasonal Tactics:
You will want to be prepared for just about any situation this time of the year as the weather can change very quickly. Ideal conditions for us are flows with stain that keeps the fish comfortably on the feed and move. The typical Indicator rig for us is either an Air Lock or Thingamabobber float on a custom build leader tied to our 7-8wt Scientific Anglers Anadro or Rio Trout Steelhead line. These lines offer you the best line control and short roll casting ease.
Our go to rods are 10' single handers or a switch rod in the 6-8wt range. On this rig we will usually fish tandem fly rigs of two eggs, an egg and a nymph or a Wooly Bugger and an egg. Actual patterns for this type of fishing will include various colors of Wooly Buggers, Glo Bugs, Crystal Meth and Scrambled Egg also in various colors, Bloody Mary nymphs, Steelhead Candy, Chicken Littles, Steelhead and Wiggle Stones. Do not overlook having a box of Trout Beads and Daiichi X510s or Tiemco 105s especially for those low clear flows. Tippet sizes will range from 0x-3x fluorocarbon.
The typical rig for swinging flies will consist of a switch rod in the 10'6"-11'9" 6-8wt range. The new Jerry French Pieroway Renegade rods are the big talk in the shop as they are effortless to cast and light weight making them a dream to fish all day. We have a great assortment of rods in the shop to meet your specific needs so make sure to stop by or shoot us a call. Matching your switch rod with the right line can be intimidating if you do not have the proper guidance so make sure to also give us a call for advice! For swinging either a Skagit or Scandi line with a Rio or SA sink tip that meets your needs will get the job done. Add a short piece of 12-20lb tippet and a Flow Ryder, A.I Intruder or others and you will be ready to find those "grabby" fish fresh out of the "Big Lake."
As conditions hover around or below the freezing point learning some spey casts with mid to long belly lines keep the ice in the guides to a minimum. These casts can be done with any fishing tactic not just swinging. The most versatile lines for this are the Rio Switch and SA Anadro lines. Keep in mind that swinging flies can be done at any flow or condition, but a couple grabs will be a great day this time of the year.
Forecast:
Going into next week we will see warmer temps and more open water. Once the tribs open up, look for fish to be active and feeding. Nymph rigs will put numbers in the net, but do not overlook your switch rod and swinging. It only takes a few degree temperature change to make these fish fire up get grabby. The flows will continue to be low, but will spike slightly due to runoff and the slight chance of rain. Make sure to be prepared for any water condition as things change very quickly up there this time of the year.
Good friend and great customer Erik Arce on a float trip with Josh last weekend. Yet another Midwest Fly Fishing School Alumni. Love to see our students and their successes.
We are continuing to book guide trips daily so make sure to contact us with a couple of your date options! We have a few tricks up our sleeve and are still getting folks into fish despite the tough conditions.
Click Here to check out the details and pricing on our Steelhead Alley Guide Service
Mad River Outfitters/Mad River Travel/Midwest Fly Fishing Schools
Fly Shop, Guides, Trips, Classes, Schools and more!
813 Bethel Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43214
614-451-0363
